The moment it became clear that “Hi, Society” was going to center around a cotillion—that deliciously antiquated ritual left over from the earliest days of New York high society—I had a feeling the show would find itself again." Tobias also assessed the character development of Jenny Humphrey. "The only real complaint I have with this episode is the fairly graceless way Jenny’s descent into snobbery was handled. I think it’s a good idea to have this very young girl poised between two different worlds—one that buys its extravagant shoes from Saks and the one she has the economic misfortune to occupy. Jenny’s flirtation with Blair is a temptation to the dark side that a girl of her age and insecurity would find hard to resist [...] I wish Jenny showed a little of the independent-mindedness that helped her survive Blair’s slumber party ambush several weeks ago. By the end of the episode, it looked like Jenny was unconvinced by her mother’s scolding, which can only be good for a show that’s firmly back in its element. Tobias praised the writers' handling of the Blair/Nate/Chuck love triangle, the Blair-Chuck relationship, and Chuck's development. "I’m not entirely sold on Nate’s about-face with regard to Blair, but it made for some juicy intrigue as Blair continued her dalliance with Chuck while slowly letting Nate back into her life. Chuck goes from the proud, devilish peacock [...] to the spurned, vengeful lover at the end." The character of CeCe received critical praise throughout the episode. Movieline listed CeCe Rhodes in their list of The 5 Worst Mothers on Television Today, describing her as cold and manipulative and enumerated her many manipulations during the episode. New York Magazine praised the revived social class tension between Dan and Serena as well as the character of CeCe, stating that "[she] reminded us that even old ladies can be catty bitches." further praised her character attributes, particularly her "nakedly manipulative, as fabulously coiffed, simply as stone-cold awesome" and for expanding the character storyline behind Lily and Rufus' past. Scott Tobias also praised the character of CeCe, declaring "The big star of tonight’s hour was Serena’s beloved Grandma CeCe, a character that would have been perfect for Angela Lansbury circa The Manchurian Candidate. So prim, so refined, so wonderfully malevolent, she seems to lurk around every corner and drinks cocktails like rocket fuel, never letting her ice to get